Rapid operating valve



oct. 27, 1942.

R. D. Mcm-:op

RAPID OPERATING VALVE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed l Feb 16 1940 d RNEYS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 16,v 1940 a w 1 /z .f i, f 0%\/ 5, @T/ a Mii M m 1 w mf Z f 4 Z Immun@ 43 INVENTOR. @y P. McLeod,

Patented Oct.: 2'7, 1942 RAPID OIPERATING VALVE Roy n. Morena, Detroit, Mich., assignmto Ross Operating Valve Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation o! Michigan Application February 1s, 1940, seriaiNo. 319,223

l2.3mm?.

4 Claims.

'I'his invention relates to rapid operating valves and has particularly to do with ah air controlled valve adapted to rapid operation.

The present invention constitutes an improvetween the poppets.

problems in two ways:

the solenoid.

ment over a known type of valve in which poppet. bination. valves are located in a unitary housing and con- Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the housings 0f trolled manually or by solenoid. While these a valve and solenoid combination.

valves have many uses, one important use is in Fig A3 1S an end elevation the same comconnection with a welding operation where the binatiom y valves are connected to a double end air piston. Fig, 4 is a sectional View of the valve housing The valve members are operated by a solenoid taken on the lines 4 4 of Fig- 1 and iuustraung connected to a lever pivoted on the housingbethe ports and passageways and Va1vs In these Welding adapta- Fig. 5 is a. sectional view similar to Fig. 4 tions, it is necessary for the air piston to opershowing the valves in a different relative posiate from two hundred to four hundred times l5 tion. A

a minute and at these high Speeds, it. has been Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the valve housing Y. dclllt to provide a Valve which Will Unfailtaken 0n lnesG-B of Fig, 1. ingly operate the air piston at al1 times. In Fig. 'l isa sectional view of the valve housing many instances when the speed of operation ltaken on the lines 1-1 of Fig. 1. reaches two hundred to four hundred times a' 20 Fig. 8 is a section on lines 8-8 of Fig. 4. minute, there has been an unexplainable miss- Referring to Figs. 1 to 3, a valve and solenoid ing on some of the movements of the control base is shown at I0 supporting a valve housing lever. I believe that this missing is due to the Il and a solenoid housing I2. Within the solepound or bouncing of the lever against the popnoid housing l2 is a solenoid coil, not shown, into Det 0n the Side 0f the fulel'llm away from the 25 which projects a plunger I3 which is movable solenoid during the de-erlergzing 01 return by the energization of the solenoid. The plunger stroke of the solenoid. Thisreturn stroke has I3 is shown in the energized position and it will been accomplished by means 0f a return Spring drop by gravity when the solenoid is de-energized. acting on the lever and loaded suciently to lift The valve housing Il has four openings in the weight of the solenoid plunger or lever and its base, Opening l5 is provided for a, cpnnecalso t0 Operate One Side 0f the Valve against tionwith a source of air under pressure. Openpressure. It is believed that on this return stroke ing I6 is an exhaust opening and openings' I1 the bouncing of the lever at the end of its moveand la are tO/be connected tothe operating ports ment causes a fluttering of the valve which conof a Wunden tributes t0 the failure 0f the operati@ 0f the 35 suitable ports and connections leading to the air piston at certain strokes of the solenoid. Openings |5 through I3V in the base of valve The present invention solves these operating housing First both Poppets are nects to a passage 20 in base I0, outlet I8 conlocated on the solenoid side of the fulcrum pin nests to a, passage 2| These passages lead to t0 eliminate the necessity 0f ,a return spring; 40 conduits 22 and 23, respectively, which are consecondly, a valve has been designed to give renected Withan operating cylinder 24 in Which/is verse action of the poppets in the two strokes of -located a piston 25. The pressure port |5 of Another lobject of. the invention is to design a I'lguirlllielighes gighngegg? |a6 lg'sa'ot s; valve in which slight discrepancies in the` mapassage 21 Chippg Wm Pot eect the opeation a-nqin which Referringto the chambers and ports within positive seating of the operating solenoid plungthe housing H pressure port I5 passes from a er is insured without strain on the operating foot portion 30 1n the housing to a leg portion parts. The necessity for packing and stuffing A h be boxes is also eliminated by reason of the design. 3| Whlch leads upwardly t0 a pressure. c am i A further object is to provide operation of the 32 which extends, .transversely of the housmg at poppets by a novel poppet design and by the the'top portion thereof. Exhaust port I6 leads proper design of air passages. Other objects and through a OOt Dertien 35 t0 al1 exhaust Cham' features of the invention, having to do with ber 36 in the lower portion of the housing. details of construction and operation, as for exlet ports I1 and I8 in the base of the housing Il ample, the operation of the poppets and air passages, will be discussed in the following description and claims.

In the drawings: y

Fig. 1 is a plan viw of a valve-solenoid com- 'I'he base I0 is provided with Referring to-Fig. 5, outlet I1 con- Outlead directly upward to operating chambers 38 and 43. These operating chambers-are L-shaped and each have portions extending'to a point in the housing Il between the exhaust chamber 35 and the pressure chamber 32.

Two parallel poppet valves are located in the housing as illustrated in Figs.` 4 and 5, one of these valves has a single valve member 4| adapted to cooperate with two valve seats 42 and 43.

Valve seat 42 surrounds a passage between exhaust chamber 36 and outlet or cylinder chamber 33. Valve seat 43 is formed by a removable solenoid coil on its upward stroke. If this positive seating is not permitted, the solenoid will burn itself out in a very short time. Valve stems 45 and 5| are preferably so dimensioned that when the valves are in the position shown in Fig. 5, there is a slight clearance between these valve stems and valve members 4| and 53a. 'I'his permits the pressure in chamber 32 to seat the members 4| and 53a without the necessity of working against the springs 3| surrounding studs 33.

It will be seen that, with the contact studs 33 located between the fulcrum 51 and the other end of lever 55, there is no necessity for a return spring for the lever or the valves. The valves are operated one way by pressure and the other way by the lever and the actuation in each direction is positive with no opportunity of re- K bound or fluttering. The dimensioning of the extends from the upper surface of valve member 4| to balance the lower valve stem and a light spring 41 acts on the upper valve stem to hold the parts 1n their relative positions. A removable plug 43 permits the removal of the valves.

'I'he other. poppet valve consists of two members 53 and 53a connected by a stem 5| which is recessed in a surface of each of the valve members. Valve member 53 projects down' through the lower wall of housing Il as does valve stem 45. A light spring 52 acts onthe valve member 53a to hold the valve parts in their assembled relation as shown. Valve member 53 cooperates with a seat 53 surrounding a passage between cylinder chamber 43 and exhaust chamber 33. Valve member 53a is mounted in a iluted hole in housing and cooperates with a valve seat 54 surrounding a passage between cylinder chamber 43 and pressure chamber 32 (see F'ig. 8). Normally, when the valve is inoperative, pressure in chamber 32 will act on valve members 4| and 53a to hold the valves in the positions shown in Fig. 5. In this position pressure chamber 32 is open to chamber 33 and closed from cylinder chamber 43. Exhaust chamber 33 is closed from cylinder chamber 38 and open to cylinder chamber 43. With the valves in this position. a pressure will be exerted on top of piston to urge it downwardly.

As previously stated, the valves are to be shifted by solenoid plunger |3. This solenoid plunger is connected to the valves by a lever 53, fulcrumed at 51, on base I3, and supported or fastened to the plunger I3 by a U-shaped member 53. Contact is made between lever 55 and valve stem 45 and valve member 53 by spherical top studs 33 which are urged upwardly by a spring 3| ata point between the fulcrum 51 and a solenoid plunger 53. Transverse pins 32 limit the upward movementyoi.' stud 33 Vbut permit downward movement. When the solenoid plunger I3 is actuated, the right end of lever 53, as viewed in Fig. 2, will be lifted as it is shown and the valves 4| and 53 will be shifted upwardly so that the seats 43 and 53 are contacted. This closes pressure chamber 32 from cylinder chamber 33 and opens it to cylinder chamber 43, meanwhile, opening cylinder chamber 33 to the exhaust chamber 35 and closing the exhaust chamber from cylinder chamber 43. Springs 3| permit positive contact of members 4| and 53 with their respective valve seats without undue stress on the valve parts and the springs 3| also permit the solenoid plunger to seat positively in the stems 45 and 5| eliminates the possibility of any slight discrepancies in the machinery affecting the bperation, and by locating valve stem 45 and valve member 53, which serve as contact members, within the exhaust chamber, it will be seen that stufllng boxes and packing are unnecessary. The formation of pressure chamber 32 also contributes to the success of the operation since this chamber is restricted as it leaves the. source side, rather than' enlarged, therefore preventing any venturi effect. Fig. 8 shows the nuted passages between chamber 32 and valve seat 54 leading to chamber 43.

I claim:

1. A valve structure of the type having a housing, interconnecting chambers and channels, including pressure and exhaust, formed in said housing for the conducting of iluid pressure to and controlling the operation of, a double acting piston in a cylinder, a iirst valve in said housing positioned to control the pressure on one end of said cylinder, a second valve in-said housing positioned to control the pressure on the other end of said cylinder, said rst and second valves each being shiftable in the same direction to connect the ends of said cylinder respectively to a pressure chamber and exhaust chamber, and each being shiftable in the same opposite direction to reverse the connections between the pressure and exhaust chambers and the ends of said cyl- `inder, valve stem means slidably connected to said nrst and second valves to eiect shifting of the same, means to effect simultaneous shifting of said valves comprising a levervpivoted at one end of said housing, a solenoid operating on the other end of said lever, and means intermediate said ends for shifting said valves when said solenoid is energized. I

2. A valve structure of the type having a housing, interconnecting chambers and channels, including pressure and exhaust, formed in said housing for the conducting of iluid pressure to and controlling the operation of a double acting piston in a cylinder, a first valve member in said housing positioned to control the pressure on one end of said cylinder, a second valve comprising a pair of members in said housing positioned to control the pressure on the other end of said cylinder, said valve members each being shiftable in the same direction to connect the ends of said cylinder respectively to a pressure chamber and exhaust chamber, and each being shiftable in the same opposite direction to reverse the connections between the pressure and exhaust chambers and the ends of said cylinder, means to eiIect simultaneous shifting of said valves comprising a lever member pivoted at one end adjacent said housing, means for operating the other end of said lever member, means intermediate said ends comprising spring pressed studs, and stem means located between said members arranged in cooperation with said spring pressed studs to provide lost motion at the initiation and completion of each stroke of said lever member.

3. A valve structure of the type having a housing, interconnecting chambers and channels, including pressure and exhaust, formed in said housing for the conducting of fluid pressure to and controlling the operation of a double acting piston in a cylinder, a rst valve means to control the` pressure on one end of said cylinder comprising a valve member located in a rst outlet port of said'housing arranged to be held in one position by pressure in an adjacent pressure chamber and in said position to close said outlet port from an exhaust, chamber, saidv valve member being shiftable to close said outlet port from said pressure chamber and open it to exhaust, and a second valve means to control the pressure on the other end of said cylinder comprising a double end poppet valve, a ilrst end being located in a pressure chamber and arranged to be held in a position by pressure in said pressure chamber to close said pressure chamber from a second outlet port, a second end being located in an exhaust chamber and arranged to control an opening between an exhaust chamber and said second in said valve member and the other end extending lfrom said valve member to a point outside said housing, a second valve stem having `its respective ends slidably mounted in and connecting the ends of said second valve means, a valve stem extending from the second end of said second valve means to a point outside of the housing, and contact means on said lever for contacting said outwardly extending stems to shift said valve means, said Contact means and said stems being dimensioned to provide a predetermined lost motion when said valve lever is actuated and to permit positive pressure seating of said valves when said lever is at rest.

4. A valve structure of the type having a housing, interconnecting chambers and channels, including pressure and exhaust, formed in said housing for the conducting of liluid pressure to and controlling the operation of a double acting piston in a cylinder, a rst valve means to control the pressure on one end of said cylinder comprising a valve member located in a rst outlet port of said housing arranged to be held in one position bypressure in an 'adjacent pressure chamber and in said position to close said outlet port from an exhaust chamber, said valvemember being shiftable to close said outlet port from said pressure chamber and open it to exhaust, and a second valve means to control the pressure on the other end of said cylinder comprising a double end poppet valve, a rst end being located in a pressure chamber and arranged to be held in a position by pressure in said pressure chamber to close said pressure chamber from a second outlet port, a second end being located in an exhaust chamber and arranged to control an opening between an exhaust chamber and said second outlet port, each of said valves being shiftable in the same direction against pressure in a' pressure chamber to effect, respectively, a closing of said rst outlet port from a pressure chamber and an opening of said iirst outlet port to an exhaust chamber, and a closing of said second outlet port from said exhaust chamber and an opening to a pressure chamber, meansforl shifting said valve means lsimultaneously against said pressure forces, comprising a lever fulcrumed adjacent said housing, means for operating said lever, a valve stem. slidably connected with andI extending from said valve member to a point outside said housing, a valve stem connecting the ends of said second valve means, a valve stem extending from the second end of said second valve means to a point outside the housing, and contact means on said lever for contacting said outwardly extending stems to shift said valve means,Iv said contact means and said stems being so dimensioned that, when Said lever is not operated, the positioning of said Valve member and said rst end will be independent thereof.

ROY D. MCLEOD. 

